ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · lash · race · land · chest · trunk · saw · craft

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. stock — goods
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. land — ground
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. chest — a box
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. chest — of your body
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. craft — a skill
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. craft — boats
  19. saw — the tool
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — the arms race
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. chest — of your body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com